Long before the present-day fleets of food trucks brought mobile street food to Queensland, a little caravan sat by the road in Kingaroy dispensing freshly roasted peanuts.
It was the late 1960s and sales weren't great. In fact the little van was sold off for $100 in its first year of trade. But that wasn't the end of the road. Just the beginning of a regional Queensland success story.
Today The Peanut Van's owners, Robert and Chris Patch, sell around 300 tonnes of peanuts a year through the original Kingaroy van, a second one in Childers and at markets around the state's south-east.
In December they also began supplying about 200 IGA stores across the state with a second brand they called 'Kingaroy Flavoured Peanuts', with plans to take the new brand to Victorian stores this year.
But back to those humble beginnings, when the van was a sideline business owned by the town's Arnott's biscuit factory which had been popping out packets of Monte Carlos in Kingaroy since the 1950s. It was set up to sell warm roasted local peanuts to passing holiday makers but trade was sluggish.
"Arnott's put the van down there on the corner and sat a lady in there, Ruth Davis," Mr Patch said.
"She sat there for weeks sometimes only getting $1.50 or $1.80."
With the venture returning only peanuts, literally, Arnott's offered it to Ruth for $100 – that included a couple of roasters and a drink machine - and she grabbed it and gave it the new moniker it still has today.
"Ruth got every single caravan that went past and gave them a sticker that said "I'm a visitor in Kingaroy, look after me," Mr Patch said.
"She actually started tourism off in the South Burnett."
New flavours were introduced through the years, and Ruth actively promoted other attractions in the region, building The Peanut Van into a much-loved landmark.
When it came time for her to sell up 18 years ago, Jean Patch who'd worked alongside her for 15 years said her son, Robert, might be interested. Both Robert and Chris were from peanut-farming families, having grown up with the ever-present red-dirt rows, and seasons marked by the cycles of plant and harvest.
"We had the passion for it so she said, 'I will allow you to buy the business off me'," Mr Patch said.
The couple now handle an annual turnover of between $3 and $4 million, and employ 20 locals to run their factory, roadside stalls and market stalls, while peanuts are sent around the nation via peanutvan.com.au.
The Patchs are still growing peanuts on their own South Burnett farm – they go into the mix at local third-generation peanut processors G Crompton & Sons, which sources its nuts from more than 300 farmers across Queensland.
South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell said The Peanut Van had become a must-do for visitors to the region, based on the Patchs' commitment and hard work.
Despite having multiple outlets now for their produce, Mr Patch said he still enjoys selling direct to customers at markets and bigger annual events such as the Ekka.
"Farmers don't get out enough and talk to the people that are buying their products but it's great when people can put a face to that product," he said.
"I was in Brisbane the other day and someone yelled out across the road 'hey, it's the peanut man" – they wouldn't have a clue what my name is."
The Peanut Van can be found at the Jan Powers Farmers Markets in the Brisbane CBD every Wednesday.